Thunderous Applause Around The Stadium

Number 6

Growing up in the 70's and 80's in the JW religion who remembers the massive stadium gigs the Watchtower used to hold?

We used to denounce false religion in the starkest of terms. We were right and by god we were letting anyone who listened know it. Governing Body members would attend conventions, the urgency of the end times was impressed upon us, and literature released to provide us with spiritual food to help us preach the good news with all urgency. The GB member would call out Babylon the Great with all their anger and the stadium would erupt into a frenzy of appaluse.

We were right and everyone would know it. The convention would end with 15,000 persons singing their heart out and a fervernt prayer; all would depart home filled with zeal for the good news and determination that the short time left to us would be filled with service to Jehovah and nothing would stop us. We had the "truth"

I mention this because despite myself, with my knowlege its all a croc of shit, I am nostalgic sometimes for the memories I have attending these conventions. I personally havent set foot in a convention since 1990 but despite everything have very happy memories of the camraderie and sense of shared purpose.

Now its all presenation above substance: sanitised videos and prepared statments. Wishy washy songs and bring your own lunch.

I wonder if back then they had it more right than now? I am under no illusion the message is wrong and they are nothing but a dangerous cult. But at least back then they knew how to stir it up!

Many like me, who have been lucky enough to escape the Watchtower lead fulfiling lives. But looking back, you can't escape your past, and sometimes on nights like tonight, I remember the not so bad bits.

Hope that makes sense?

Sea Breeze

Generations of young people were raised in a made up state of emergency and were totally unprepared to deal with simple things in life like making a living because Armageddon could break out at any moment. After God killed everyone except the Jehovah's Witnesses, they could just simply move into the big houses that others worked for.

Many of those young people went on to recreate the chaos & destruction into their own lives, even after leaving the cult, because that is all they knew. Then there is the drugs and alcohol to dull the pain of losing your family when you tried to leave or go to another church.

I'm glad you enjoyed your illusion and got out with minimal cost. I lost 4 generations of my family. The only two that made it out so far have required years of therapy, addiction rehab, and many tens of thousands of dollars to get them the help they need.

The Watchtower can only be described as utter mind rape. I guess some rapes are worse than others.

BourneIdentity

I do recall those times and how motivating they were. You would leave Sunday and really ponder over how you could give more to Jehovah, it was like a drug. We thought it was Holy Spirit working on us. I don’t know if it was more exciting back then or we were so deeply entrenched and brainwashed.

All I know now is the conventions are boring as fuck and there is no semblance of those past times and excitement.

waton

yeah and then the resolutions and the shout: aey or I? .pre-convention work, 8 day assemblies,

Phizzy

I am an Old Fart born in the early 1950's so have very early memories of Conventions, the eight day ones were hard for a young kid, and for this kids bum !

I remember Volunteering in the Food Service when I was about eight, got the job of washing up the Trays they served the slop in, stood out in the Sun way too long doing it, ended up with mild Sunstroke. Nobody told me to stop, take a rest in the shade or anything, until my mum came along, realised I wasn't too well, and took me back to my seat, oh yes, Happy Times !

I do remember the atmosphere, a sort of muted excitement, the camaraderie, and I remember in my Teens, when even then I had doubts, looking around and thinking, " All these people believe the same, they can't all be wrong", typical JW faulty reasoning, a bit like the Restaurant who advertised " We have the best food in Town ! 10,000 Flies can't be wrong !".

I think the whole thing now has got steadily more boring, and the "Spiritual Food" LOL, is now so puerile and has no depth, nothing to "get your teeth in to", just "same old, same old".

I do have fond memories, and there were many truly lovely people in the Org, but I was never truly happy in my whole life, until I left.

BoogerMan

In the cold light of day, many now realise that it was effectively nothing more than a "tribal identity" - a sense of belonging to a greater community. Birds of a feather....

All religions - as well as sports fans - have the same sense of tribalism/belonging. "We're the best."

LongHairGal

SEA BREEZE:

I agree with everybody’s comments but you are correct that the WT is utter ‘mind rape’. Very apt description.

I wasn’t born-in so I guess certain teachings weren’t so deeply rooted as others. I was able to shed the ‘paradise earth’ hope from my mind with not much trouble. Maybe I never entirely swallowed the whole thing. But getting rid of this carrot & stick belief was necessary when I started my ‘Fade’... I felt it was a cruel trick on my brain.

My general experience in the JW religion still did a number on my head that had lingering effects for years. Being treated like a typhoid Mary as a working single woman was appalling and what the hell did I need with that? I was probably held out as ‘you don’t want to be like her’!

But, I’m SO grateful that I stuck to my guns because I would not be Retired today if I had really listened to these Users.

Still Totally ADD

Phizzy like you I am a old fart born in the mid 1950's. I remember very well the large conventions, new information and more so called enlightment. It was exciting when a new book came out. The 1971 conventions come to mind when the new elder arrangement came out. It was a time of of fear and excitement of the new system.

By the late 1980's all that started to die down. No exciting new information, books were mostly rehashed stuff from older books and then the boring conventions came. By the time 2000's came and no new system in sight it all became changing major teachings to peat and repeat. Along with the art of dumbing down everything. By the time I left in 2010 it was the start of the big money grab. Next it's time to become a televangelist organization. If they do it right they will be richer than ever just like the other televangelist scam artist on TV. Still Totally ADD

phoenixrising

Its not even close to the cult we grew up in. Its almost like even the top leaders are having some doubts as to how to proceed and are using the Video BS an movie production to fill in until they know what to do. then falling back on its very close we are at the tip of the pencil.

Finkelstein

All religions - as well as sports fans - have the same sense of tribalism/belonging. "We're the best."

Good point BoogerMan

The brainwashing was just as strong back in the 60's 70's we are the most righteous people on earth and the most happiest because of it.

This was all due to the FDSL direction and guidance, who were really just lying and corrupt religious charlatans and biblicaly false prophets.

Thunderous Applause Around The Stadium

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